Free Printable Horse Race Game Board Template – A free printable horse race game board template is a download-and-print track you can use for family game night, a classroom probability lesson, or a Kentucky Derby watch party. Most versions use two dice, simple tokens, and a start-to-finish lane for each horse.
There is no single official U.S. “horse race board” PDF from Churchill Downs. The best free options are teacher-made race boards, DIY derby templates, and blank race-track printables you can label yourself. Paid Etsy kits exist, but the resources below are free for personal use.
What This Game Board Usually Looks Like?
Two popular layouts show up again and again:
The classic dice track (often called Horse Racing or Pony Up).
Horses are numbered 2 through 12. You roll two dice and move the horse that matches the total. Because 7 is rolled more often than 2 or 12, the middle lanes are longer so the race stays fair.
A simple party or classroom track.
Six to eight parallel lanes run from a starting line to a finish line. Players pick a horse, roll, and advance. Games last a few minutes, which is ideal between Derby races on TV.
You will also see Kentucky Derby “squares” grids. Those are office-pool sheets, not a moving-horse board, but they are a common free printable for the same party.
Where to Get a Free Printable?
1. Free derby race board for classrooms
Ashley Lafleur’s Derby Race Probability Game FREEBIE on Teachers Pay Teachers is a true free printable horse race game board. Students pick a horse, roll two dice, subtract the numbers, and move that horse one space. The first horse to the end circle wins. A tally sheet is included so you can talk about probability after a few races.
Download it here: Derby Race Probability Game FREEBIE.
A free Teachers Pay Teachers account is required. The file is designed for U.S. letter paper and works from kindergarten through middle school.
Another free TPT option, Friendship Downs, is a Kentucky Derby–themed track for two to six players. It includes two color board pieces, six horse markers, labels, and an instruction sheet. Search “Friendship Downs Board Game Kentucky Derby Freebie” on Teachers Pay Teachers if you want a kids’ race around a decorated track.
2. Free graphics for a DIY derby board
If you want a larger table or wall board, The Ponds Farmhouse publishes a full DIY wood horse-race tutorial plus free downloadable templates for track graphics and horse pieces. No email signup is required. The Google Drive files can be printed and transferred onto plywood, foam board, or poster board.
Get the tutorial and templates here: DIY Wood Horse Race Game (The Ponds Farmhouse).
You can skip the woodworking and still use the printable horse and number graphics on cardstock.
3. Foam-board party board with printable signs
Cleverly Inspired’s Derby party post shows how to turn a white foam board into a six-lane horse race in about 30 minutes. The post includes printable starting-line, finish-line, winners-circle, and rule-card graphics you can save and print.
See the how-to and printables here: DIY Horse Racing Game (Cleverly Inspired).
Use mini Solo cups with paper jockey silks or toy horses as pieces. Each race takes about three minutes.
4. Blank race-track boards you can customize
If you want a clean template and will add horse names yourself, Donna Young’s homeschool site offers free race-track game boards in PDF (and one editable .doc). They are not horse-themed out of the box, which makes them easy to label “Secretariat,” “Justify,” or your own barn names.
Browse the free boards here: Blank Game Board Templates (Donna Young).
Print on 8.5 x 11-inch cardstock, tape two sheets together for a bigger track, and laminate if you plan to reuse the board.
5. Free Kentucky Derby squares (related party printable)
If guests want a paper game that follows the real Churchill Downs race rather than a dice track, Printable Pedia’s 2026 Kentucky Derby Squares templates are free, letter-size, and do not require an email signup.
Download them here: Kentucky Derby Squares 2026 Free Printable Templates.
Use these alongside a dice board so kids can play the table game while adults fill squares for the televised race.
Free Printable Horse Race Game Board Template
How to Play the Classic Dice Horse Race?
You need a board with lanes 2–12, two six-sided dice, 11 tokens, and (optional) a deck of cards plus chips.
- Place every horse on the starting line.
- Scratch four horses before the race: roll the dice four times and move each matching horse off the track. Re-roll ties.
- If you are using cards, remove aces, kings, and jokers, deal the remaining 44 cards, and have players pay into a pot for any scratched numbers they hold.
- Players take turns rolling both dice. Move the horse whose number matches the total one space forward. Ignore rolls for scratched horses.
- The first horse to reach the finish line wins. Card holders of that number split the pot, or the group simply cheers the winner.
For a no-betting family version, skip the cards and chips. Everyone just picks a horse and watches the dice.
How to Print and Build a Board at Home?
- Use U.S. letter (8.5 x 11) cardstock for table games.
- For a party centerpiece, print graphics and glue them onto foam board from a craft store.
- Set your printer to “Actual Size” or “100%,” not “Fit to page,” so lanes stay even.
- Laminate the board or cover it with clear contact paper if kids will play more than once.
- Tokens can be coins, buttons, plastic horses, or paper silks taped to cup lids.
A six-lane foam board with 10 to 12 spaces per lane is enough for a Derby party. The 2–12 layout is better if you want the traditional odds-based race.
Quick Tips for a USA Derby Party
Keep the board next to the TV so guests can play a three-minute dice race during commercial breaks. Print extra horse tokens so late arrivals can join. If children are playing, use play money or stickers instead of cash. Pair the board with mint julep cups, a rose centerpiece, and a simple winner’s-circle photo spot.
FAQ
Is there an official free Churchill Downs game board?
No. Churchill Downs does not publish a free official horse-race board-game PDF. Use a teacher printable, a DIY template, or a blank race track.
Can I use these printables for a classroom or church event?
The TPT freebies and Donna Young boards are intended for personal and classroom use. Check each file’s terms before selling copies or using them commercially.
What paper works best?
Cardstock on a home inkjet or laser printer. Poster board or foam board is better for a large party track.
Do I need special game pieces?
No. Coins, erasers, or printed horses work. Number them 2 through 12 or 1 through 6 to match your board.
Are Etsy “horse race board game templates” free?
Usually not. Many complete 9-page kits are paid digital downloads. The five sources linked above are the free options verified for this guide.
Print one board, grab two dice, and you can run a race in minutes—whether you are teaching probability in May or filling the gap before the Run for the Roses.